Scenic Byways

Santa Fe Trail

Designated a National Scenic Byway

Length: 188 milesDriving time: 4 hoursOpen: All Year

One of America’s first great trade routes, the Santa Fe Trail, was critical to our country’s westward expansion. Sharp observers can still discern the wagon-wheel ruts of the historic Santa Fe Trail. Experience the Old West as you have never done before on this byway. Visit historic sites and landmarks and enjoy spectacular scenery, from rugged mountains to the plains. Archaeological sites include pictographs, petroglyphs, teepee rings, fire circles, and dinosaur tracks.

The byway’s midpoint is Bent’s Old Fort, once a trading post and cultural melting pot – now a National Historic Site